Potholes, how to avoid damage to your vehicle

POTHOLES, HOW TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE

It seems that everywhere you go, there’s a pothole in the road ahead. With excessive rainfall over the past Winter months and freezing overnight temperatures, it is inevitable that potholes have appeared in our roads. But how can you dodge them to avoid damage to your vehicle? Read our top 5 tips for avoiding those pesky potholes and curbing lasting damage to your car!

Avoid standing water…you don’t know what’s underneath

Spring can often be the worst time of year for potholes, many appear in our roads and local councils may not have had the chance to repair the damage yet. However, those April showers could also mean that heavy rainfall covers the potholes, causing drivers to miss the danger. Keep a close lookout, and if safe to do so, avoid those large puddles!

Stay alert and keep your eyes peeled

It goes without saying that avoiding a pothole completely is the best way to avert damage to your vehicle. So, keeping your distance from the car in front and ensuring you are scanning the road ahead will help you to avoid them safely. Many potholes are hard to spot, especially when driving in the dark, so keeping your headlights on in low light is also important.

Keep your speed slow, but avoid breaking

If you see an unavoidable pothole ahead, slow your speed if it is safe to do so. However, it is best not to sharply brake whilst your tyre rolls over a pothole, as this can cause additional danger with sudden car movements and subsequent problems with suspension or wheel alignment.

Hold your steering wheel in the correct position

Again, when you know you’re about to drive over an unavoidable hole in the road, ensure you are holding your steering wheel in the ‘10 and 2’ position. This will help you to keep control of your vehicle, keeping you and your passengers as safe as possible.

Check your tyres regularly to avoid further damage

It may be inevitable that your car will drive over potholes on regular occasions, keeping a close eye on your tyre condition is therefore important. Small amounts of damage over time can result in further complications, causing dangers to you when travelling at speed. If in doubt, get your car checked at our local Mitsubishi Service Centre. Our vehicle health check includes a tyre condition and deflation check and so much more…all for only £34.95.

Wherever you’re going this Spring, we hope that you can avoid those troublesome potholes and have a safe and happy journey.

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